The date of the super-solstice is drawing near and Brian Weaver (James Buckley) is finally going to get the opportunity to be magicked back to 21st century Britain – and a change of clothes – provided liquor-loving conjuror Howell (Paul Kaye) can stay off the Rhubarb Seizures long enough to recant the spell! With Barbara’s (Sharon Rooney) new date (Ciaran Dowd) guaranteeing the gang easy access to the Henge, it seems like nothing will stand in the way of Brian’s return journey – except maybe for the two bounty hunters who are hot on the heels of the traveller from another world…

A single f-bomb earns Zapped its first ‘15’ rating with what is – in my humble opinion – the krunting best of its eight aired to date. Alan Partridge’s Mid-Morning Matters co-host, Tim Key, guest stars as the lead actor of travelling group The Brevit Players, who Brian (James Buckley) joins as the sandwich-board carrier and general dogsbody, hoping to follow the theatrical troupe all the way to the City of a Thousand Towers – and his ticket home.

When two pear watch guards (Simon Day and Javone “Empty Orchestra” Prince) are inexplicably fired the day before Munty’s highly anticipated Pear Fair, a baffled Brian (James Buckley) jumps at the opportunity to apply for the job of guarding the sacred albino pears in the walled orchard. With his wages, he plans to journey to the City of a Thousand Towers in time for the Super Solstice, hoping to take advantage of the thin wall between worlds and return to his rightful dimension.

Halfway through this second series and stranded twenty-first century everyman Brian Weaver (James Charlie Countryman Buckley) is becoming bored with his limited circle of less-than-exceptional companions and his lacklustre new existence in the fantastical medieval province. Even news of Herman’s (Louis Emerick) upcoming anniversary party celebrating 15 years of “proper old school taverny” at The Jug and Other Jug can’t convince Brian to stay away from Munty’s newly-opened trendy bar.

Expanded from last year’s water-testing micro-run (click the following links for my 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 reviews), digital channel Dave’s original fantasy sitcom makes a welcome return next week, once again nestled in a post-Red Dwarf XII Thursday night slot. “The Trial” follows directly on from “Mr. Wuffles”‘s cliffhanger ending, in which modern day office temp-out-of-water Brian Weaver (James The Inbetweeners Buckley) has inadvertently pissed off a legion of shell-backed Snail people by kicking their ambassador, which he had mistaken for a football.

Aside from the location (China), time period (medieval) and headline actor (Matt Damon) – all discernible from the poster – I went into this mega-budgeted adventure from House of the Flying Daggers director Zhang Yimou blind, unsure whether to expect a dour drama akin to The Last Samurai or an action-packed choreography-fest like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. What I categorically was not expecting was The Mummy Returns… again!